Chapter 28 #2
I raise an eyebrow. “It’s worth more than millions of dollars in diamonds?”
“Yes,” he replies bluntly. “Don’t let anyone else have it, Genesis. Including Declan.” With that, he flicks his mic back on.
I guess the conversation’s done, and I’m left wondering what could be so important, and disturbed that Kurt doesn’t seem to trust anyone else in the crew.
Or maybe he just doesn’t trust Declan. That’s fair; I’m not sure how much I do, either. Even if I want to.
“Cole, Declan, how are you doing?” Kurt asks.
“Need another minute here,” Cole replies. “I’ve cable-tied the door handle, and I’m shifting some desks to slow them down.”
“Mine’s done,” Declan says. “I’ll do some desks too.” He doesn’t go so far as to admit Cole had a good idea.
“Roger that.” Kurt starts pacing back and forth, head lowered, brow furrowed.
“I already have company.” Declan’s voice has a terse edge.
“Shit. They must’ve seen the elevators go down.”
“Yeah. Well, they’re trying the door. It’s holding so far, but…”
“Cole, anything your side?” Kurt asks.
“Negative. Want me to join Declan?”
“Not yet. See if you get any activity first.”
I’m tempted to get my pistol out, but holding it won’t bring me any comfort. My nails bite into my palms. I can’t wait until we’re out on the roof and jumping, leaving this place behind us.
Dario must only be halfway through by now. Declan still has to hold that door for four minutes, outnumbered and outgunned.
Why won’t Kurt send Cole over?
“Uh… guys?” Cammy’s voice. “We’ve just been passed by two security cars heading your way fast. And worse, two unmarked bikes.”
I glance at Kurt, and he’s clenching his jaw.
“Understood.” He doesn’t acknowledge my look. “Declan?”
Before he can answer, the distinct crack of gunshots comes from the direction of the elevators.
“Yeah, they’re trying to shoot it open,” he drawls, like he’s not the next target they’ll be shooting at. “Door’s protecting the zip ties. It’s holding so far.”
“Well, let’s give them a distraction,” Kurt mutters, getting up and pulling open the external vault door.
White smoke pours out, and the hissing sound jumps in volume.
Where Dario’s working there’s a fiercely blinding light as bright as the sun, and I look away fast. “Fire alarm’s about to trigger, Tasha. ”
“Acknowledged. That puts SFFD at four minutes for their fastest response.”
The smoke is so thick I have to move away, coughing. Kurt puts a sleeve over his face but stays put, keeping an eye on Dario in the vault. Ten seconds later, the fire alarm goes off. It’s a piercing three-pulse pattern, loud enough to make me wince, and strobe lights activate in the ceiling.
A pre-recorded voice comes out of the PA system: “Attention. A fire has been reported in the building. Please proceed to the nearest stairwell in an orderly fashion.”
“Now we’ll see if security cares more about getting in here than doing their jobs,” Kurt says over the noise. “Dario?”
“Need two minutes here.” His voice is muffled by his mask.
“Declan?”
“Don’t think they’ve gone away.”
More gunshots prove him right.
“Shit. Cole?” Kurt times his instructions for the gap between the repeating alarm and the automated voice.
“Still clear this side.”
“Come back then.”
Finally.
I bite at my lip, then catch myself doing it, knowing Declan would only smile if he saw.
I’m still angry at him for being such a jerk earlier, but he’s right by the stairway door, and those security guys are trigger-happy.
The worst thing is there’s nothing I can do.
My hand twitches toward my pistol, but I cross my arms instead, and force myself to breathe slowly.
More shots fire, and I jump. Kurt winces. The fire alarm is loud enough to risk swallowing anything Declan says, and I cover my earpiece with my palm.
“This door isn’t going to hold forever. Plan?”
“Cole’s on his way,” Kurt replies tersely. “If you have to shoot, remember: no fatalities unless it can’t be avoided.”
“Yeah, I haven’t forgotten.”
Great. Now he’s crippled by Kurt’s don’t kill standing order.
I know the security won’t hesitate.
“I’m through!” Dario calls, and Kurt heads straight for the vault. I follow, keen to get whatever Kurt’s so obsessed with so we can all get out of here. As fast as damn possible.
Cole runs by, heading to support Declan, and gives me a nod and a cheeky grin. I don’t even try and smile back.
Dario’s peeling off his respirator, his welding mask already discarded on the floor. There’s barely anything left of the thermal lance, the end of it still glowing red-hot.
Kurt grabs the vault handle and inch by inch, the heavy door opens.
The strobe lights in the ceiling illuminate the interior with flickering pulses, gold bars glinting on shelves against the walls.
There must be a few hundred of them stacked in neat piles, each the size of a smartphone.
Kurt ignores them, instead pulling out a velvet bag, looking inside.
“Found the diamonds.” He hands it to Dario. “There’s three more like that. Check them, would you?”
Dario fishes them out, opening each in turn, and whistles through his teeth. “Good haul, Kurt.”
“Hurry up,” I say urgently.
But Kurt’s rifling through the other shelves, looking for what he really wanted all along.
He finds a manila envelope, tips it up, and what looks like a USB drive falls into his hand, flat and about the size of a deck of cards.
His grip closes around it, making a fist, and he pauses long enough to exhale in relief.
I can’t remember the last time he showed such naked emotion.
“Diamonds all here,” Dario says. “We taking any of that gold?”
“Leave it,” Kurt replies. “It’s a kilo a bar. Even a handful of those will make the jump harder.”
Dario takes a couple regardless, winking at me.
“Here, Genesis.” Kurt hands me a bag of the diamonds.
It’s small enough to shove inside the pocket of my jacket, and I tuck it away, barely noticing the weight.
Kurt pulls open the other side of my jacket, slides the drive into my inside pocket, zips it carefully closed, and taps it twice.
He doesn’t say a word, just makes eye contact.
I’m holding a quarter of the diamonds—about four million dollars’ worth—and a little black box that apparently justifies all this.
“Can we get out of here now?”
“Yeah, what she said.” Cole’s voice. “We’re getting company here any minute.”
“We’re done,” Kurt replies. “Pull back, head for the north wall.”
“On our way.”
“Dario, leave that shit alone, and let’s go.”
Dario’s helping himself to more of the gold, but he grins and follows easily enough. We start jogging through the office, past empty desks and meeting tables, and I’ve never been so glad to get out of somewhere.
“They’re through.” Declan says.
“Shit, look out!” Cole’s cry comes at the same time.
Gunshots crack through the air, louder and closer than before.
And I know it’s Declan they’re shooting at.